Live Captions

During a video call in the FaceTime app, you can turn on Live Captions to see the spoken conversation transcribed and displayed in real time.

On an iPhone with Apple Intelligence*, you can also turn on Live Translation. It shows the other person’s words translated from their language to your preferred language, right on your screen as they speak.

Here’s how to use Live Captions and Live Translation in FaceTime on iPhone.

Note: Live Captions aren’t available in all languages or regions.

Turn on Live Captions

1. During a video call in the FaceTime app, tap the screen to show the FaceTime controls (if they aren’t visible).
2. Tap the More button, then tap Live Captions.

   A Live Captions window appears, showing the automatically transcribed dialogue of the call near the top of the screen and who’s speaking.

3. To stop showing the conversation on the screen, tap the screen, tap the More button, and then tap Stop next to Live Captions.

Important: The accuracy of Live Captions may vary and shouldn’t be relied upon in high-risk or emergency situations. Live Captions uses additional battery.

See translated captions in FaceTime

On a FaceTime call with someone who speaks a different language, Apple Intelligence can show you translated captions in your preferred language.

Note: Live Translation in FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (UK, U.S.), French (France), German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Japanese, and Korean.

Before using Live Translation, you need to download the input and output languages.

1. Go to the FaceTime app, on your iPhone.
2. Turn on Live Captions.

If the caller speaks a different language, captions automatically show up translated into your preferred language.

Note: Apple Intelligence on iOS 27 or later is available on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, or iPhone 16 model or later. Apple Intelligence is not available in all languages or regions. Usage limits may apply.*

*Apple Intelligence is available with Siri and device language set to Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, or Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. Some devices may not be available in all regions.

Siri AI is available in beta in iOS 27, iPadOS 27, macOS 27, watchOS 27, and visionOS 27 and requires an Apple Intelligence–enabled device set to a supported language. Available in English to start. Siri AI will not be initially available in the EU on iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS. Certain Apple Intelligence features that rely on server-side models are subject to daily usage limits, including but not limited to Siri AI, Intelligent Photo Editing Tools, Image Playground, and AFM 3 Cloud models in Shortcuts.

Daily limits may vary by feature, request complexity, system demand, system policies, and other factors. Expanded access to such features will be available for a fee in the future. Use of these features is subject to the Apple Intelligence Terms and Conditions.

With Live Captions on iPhone, you can get a real-time transcription of spoken audio. Use Live Captions to more easily follow the audio in any app, such as FaceTime or Podcasts, as well as live conversations around you.

You can customize the text, size, and color of the captions, and choose how long to keep captions from your calls.

Here’s how to get live captions of spoken audio on iPhone.

Note: Live Captions is available on iPhone 11 or later. Live Captions isn’t available in all languages, countries, or regions. The accuracy of Live Captions may vary and shouldn’t be relied upon in high-risk or emergency situations.

Set up and customize Live Captions

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Accessibility and tap Live Captions. Then turn on Live Captions.
3. Tap Appearance to customize the text, size, and color of the captions.
4. Tap Keep Call Captions and then choose an option:
   • 1 Minute: Select 1 Minute to save captions from calls for up to one minute during a call. All call captions are cleared after the call ends. If you select 1 Minute, you won’t be able to copy, take a screenshot, or take a screen recording of the call transcription.
   • 1 Hour: Select 1 Hour to save captions from calls for up to one hour after a call ends. If you select 1 Hour, you’ll be able to copy, take a screenshot, and take a screen recording of the call transcription.

Note: When you choose 1 Hour, all call participants hear a brief audio announcement (“This call is being transcribed”) at the start of the call. If Live Captions is paused or the Keep Call Captions option is changed from 1 Hour to 1 Minute during a call, all participants hear an audio announcement (“This call is no longer being transcribed”).

Use Live Captions

With Live Captions on, iPhone automatically transcribes the spoken audio in apps, or the dialogue around you, and you can do any of the following:

• Transcribe an in-person conversation: Tap Live Captions, then tap Microphone.
• Transcribe iPhone audio: Tap Live Captions, then tap iPhone Audio.
• Pause the transcription: Tap Live Captions, then tap Pause Listening.
• Copy the transcription: Tap the More Options button, then tap Copy Captions. You can paste your transcriptions in another app—like in Notes or Messages.
• Clear the transcription: Tap the More Options button, then tap Clear All.
• Move the Live Captions window: Drag the Live Captions window to reposition it on the screen.
• Hide the Live Captions window: The Live Captions window is automatically hidden when no audio is detected. If the window is showing, swipe left or right on the window to hide it. To restore the window, tap the Live Captions Collapsed button.
• Make the transcription window full-screen: Tap the Maximize button. To restore the window to the smaller size, tap the Minimize button.
• Take a screenshot or screen recording of the transcription: Position the Live Captions window, then take a screenshot or take a screen recording.

Note: Screenshots, screen recordings, and copying transcriptions only work during and after a call if you chose 1 Hour while setting up Live Captions.